Hawaiian Tropic Review – Sunscreen, Tanning Lotions & After Sun

June 23, 2017

Hawaiian Tropic Review - Sunscreen, Tanning Lotions & After Sun

One of the oldest and most recognizable sun care brands, Hawaiian Tropic is popular among consumers. But big questions remain about ingredients, consumer watchdog criticisms, and overall company ethics.

Average Product Review86%

Ethical Company Index54%

The Good

Competitively priced

Fragrance

Consistancy

The Bad

Controversial synthetics

Poor overall ethical rating

Packaging

2017-06-23

70%Overall Score

Reader Rating: (1 Vote)

60%

Hawaiian Tropic Review

Founded in 1969, Hawaiian Tropic remains one of the oldest and arguably one of the most internationally recognizable of sun care brands. Known for their indulgent fragrance that awakens the senses, Hawaiian Tropic offers a range of protective Sun Lotions, Tanning and Protective Oils, After Suns and even also Lip Care products.

As a popular choice among consumers, Hawaiian Tropic products offer both UVA & UVB protection, the former promoted as protection against ageing, the latter against burning.

Chemicals?

Sunscreens may contain one or more of a number of different active compounds to block out the sun’s rays, such as OMC (octyl methoxycinnamate), benzophenone, benzophenone 3 (oxybenzone), titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and talc, all of which should be listed on the packaging. Some chemicals commonly used in sunscreens have been flagged as potential risks (studies carried out on mice have raised concerns about the safety of OMC, for example). But two points should also be noted:

1) it isn’t possible to find a sunscreen with a high SPF that doesn’t use at least one of the chemicals above.

2) While new research is being published all the time, currently the science is unclear about definite hazards or risks.

Oxybenzone is a good example as it has been a particular focus of scientists in recent years, as has Retinal palmitate. Of the two, Oxybenzone seems to have received the most attention as panic stirred about its possible detrimental effects. Concerns include how it possibly interacts with the hormones of the body in sufficiently high doses, as suggested in a 2001 study on rats. But in 2011 further research concluded that one would need to apply excess amounts of oxybenzone constantly for 36 years for there to be the same level of risk found in the rats. Though there are still question marks, such as in the findings of a 2004 study that suggested traces of oxybenzone may be found in urine the day after application, the implication of what this means and the need for further research remains open.

The lesson, in any case, is that it is always best to research and review the body of scientific evidence before reacting to claims about chemicals and their potential effects.

One should also remain weary about the promotion of “chemical-free” products, of which there is no such thing, as well as other claims toward “anti-aging” and so on.

When it comes to Hawaiian Tropic, the brand isn’t the most transparent with regards to the open publication of their ingredient list. They seem to most limit their marketing of ingredients to superficial or simplistic claims about “careful selection” and a dozen or so fruits. So one mostly has to rely on what it says on the bottle.

With that noted, over at The Good Guide we see a very poor overall product rating score 1.7 based on the study of 44 Hawaiian Tropic products. Potential ingredient hazards – or at least controversial synthetics – include Oxybenzone, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, among others. In addition to this, fragrance ingredients known to be the cause of irritation are included in various formulas.

Those with sensitive skin take note: Hawaiian Tropic products are extensively fragranced—every sunscreen, body oil, and lip balm we tested contained a potent array of perfumes (including papaya extract, which can be problematic for those with latex allergies). Also worth mentioning is that there are no mineral sunscreen options available from Hawaiian Tropic, so those who are sensitive to synthetic sunscreen actives are out of luck shopping this line.

SPF rating and other practical concerns

Of the sun protection and tanning products reviewed, all had SPF ratings of 15 or higher. However, Hawaiian Tropic also offers a range of products lower than SPF 15. It is quite unanimous that medical boards recommend 15 SPF or more. Problematically, it seems that some of their products lower than SPF 15 still make claims to broad-spectrum sun protection which, as far as we know, is against FDA regulations.

Consumer Review

The several Hawaiian Tropic products we surveyed were met with positive reviews by majority of consumers. It is clear that fragrance and consistency are reoccurring themes.

Overall, as one of the more popular and market leading brands, the products reviewed seem to be generally highly regarded by consumers. Product quality, fragrance, price, and effectiveness are all notable.

Controversy

Hawaiian Tropic faced criticism in 2015 after a consumer watchdog found that its Silk Hydration Lotion SPF30 (180ml) offered only around two-thirds of the claimed SPF. Their Satin Protection Sun Lotion SPF30 (200ml) also failed the tests.

Packaging

It appears that the majority of sun lotions by Hawaiian Tropic reviewed by The Good Shopping Guide come in plastic bottles (usually polyethylene, PE, or high-density polyethylene, HDPE). These can only be recycled where such facilities exist.

Ethical Review

In terms of overall company ethics, Hawaiian Tropic does not fare very well for such a popular global brand. Our latest independent and comprehensive research report revealed several areas of concern.

With a mediocre environmental report, Hawaiian Tropic is given bottom marks for animal welfare. It also scores in the red for organic, while concerns have been noted with regards to the company’s public record criticisms.

Overall, Hawaiian Tropic was given a score of 54 on the ethical index, ranking far below other internationally recognized sun care brands.

* To obtain a census view of and average product score for a number of Hawaiian Tropic products surveyed in this article, we assessed a spread of several popular and authoritative productive reviews published in MakeupAlley and Amazon.

Ethically Accredited Co's

The Good Shopping Guide

The Good Shopping Guide reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly of the world’s companies and brands, assisting you in choosing more eco-friendly, ethical products that support the growth of social responsibility and ethical business as well as a more sustainable, just society.From armaments involvement and corporate corruption to human rights abuse and animal welfare, our research focuses on three general areas: People, Animals and the Environment. In each product sector a detailed breakdown of each company can be found, helping you get a clear picture of what's actually going on behind the brand.